The Sailrite folks have a loyal following, perhaps because of their excellent service reputation.
Meanwhile, none of their machines are industrial machines that will stand up to serious production. As mentioned before, their heaviest mechines are known as "commercial" machines in the trade, intended for small tailoring shops. They are priced somewhat higher than you can find similar models from other vendors.
The LS-1 and LZ-1 are really small machines. They look like toys in comparison to serious machines.
Your best buys are good used industrial machines. At Benson Sails we have around 10 machines, with 5 used regularly, and the others backups. The oldest are Singer 107 and 143 zig-zag machines that date from 1939 to 1947. They run great and parts are still available. For straight-stitching on canvas we have compound feed machines (walking-foot + walking-needle), Consew 226 and Singer 211. All use 1/2 hp clutch motors.
Look for industrial sewing machine dealers in your area, or Google "industrial sewing machines" to find dealers. Good buys also come up on ebay, though many machines have overblown descriptions..."industrial strength", etc. You need to have a specific models in mind. Shipping is expensive, however.
Brent
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